Devotionals

Humility

8/23/2018

John 3:30 best exemplifies the definition of humility. It says, "He must increase, but I must decrease." This is humility plain and simple. When we decrease, God is able to perform his will , through us. "The word decrease means to lesson in rank or influence, to make lower. " Humbling ourselves means the same thing. In other words, we must recognize Gods greatness and our own smallness.

Humility was the dominant characteristic of Christ as He so freely gave his life for us. Phillipians 2:8 says "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." He literally took our place at Calvary so we might receive him unto salvation and magnify him. This is why we should apply I Peter 5:6 to our lives period. "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."

Humility is the key to becoming pleasing to God. Until we can put ourselves into a life of meekness and lowliness, God will never be able to use us in his service. There is no way to effectively demonstrate obedience, faithfulness, and perseverance until we have clothed ourselves with humility.

Humility is evident when people fulfill these things;

-Put God first
-Think of others above themselves
-Acknowledge that they can do nothing without God
-Focus on others needs above their own
-Realise Gods greatness and their smallness
-Have a burden for the lost
-See themselves as Gods vessel
-Hunger for righteousness
-Totally depend on God
-Exemplify self denial

You see, humility is about giving God glory for all things. The greatest reward for any of us is to see people drawn to God through our lives of humility. We must give him complete authority over our hearts, minds, and souls. Jesus is a beautiful example of humility.

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Think On These Things

9/13/2016

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Jessica Guinn

Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which year have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Our world is consumed with a cancer known as negativity. Negativity is derived from its root word negative which can be defined as “harmful or bad; thinking about the bad qualities of someone or something; thinking that a bad result will happen; not hopeful or optimistic; expressing dislike or disapproval.”

Does this sound familiar to anyone? If not, take a moment to turn on the news channel of your choice, visit a doctor’s office, or phone a friend and ask them how their day is going. Negativity is all around us, and it spreads like the common cold.

I get it—life is hard. As a matter of fact, the Bible told us that it would be. We are told that we will face persecution, judgments, and suffering on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, the pages of God’s Word continually tell us to stand fast, withstand, stand strong in the Lord, and persevere.

Lately God has been stressing to me the importance of renewing and transforming my mind through the Word. The more we focus on the gloom and doom of the world around us, the easier it is to lose the joy of our salvation. Nehemiah 8:10b says, “…for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” The word strength in this passage means, “Defense.” The joy that comes from Jesus Christ is our defense against negativity, worry, and pessimism.

The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians that no matter what we are going through, we can combat our stinking thinking! He lists several things for us to think on in chapter 4 verse 8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” To paraphrase, Paul is saying here, “Don’t listen to and believe the lies of the enemy. Instead look for truth, look for righteousness, and look for my hand in all situations. Think on these things. Speak on these things. Share these things.”

Let me be clear—this is not a positive, prosperity Gospel; however, when we change our thinking to be more like Him, eventually our speech will be more like Him. “…and the God of peace shall be with you.”

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The Sunday Morning Soldier

5/30/2016

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Dr. Brenda J. Robinson

Hebrews 13:1-3 “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."

     It was the month of April. We were serving in the state of Mississippi. I was speaking for a Women's Conference, and we were staying over for the Sunday morning service to sing and my husband preach. As the Sunday service began we were on the platform singing and to my left my eyes fixed on a military family sitting midway back in the church. My eyes were drawn to the uniform but even more so to the countenance on the Sunday Morning Soldier’s face. It was a countenance of worship and humility to just be sitting in that pew. As we continued to sing and share the love of Jesus, he was fixed intently to every word we sang or shared.
     We would share our testimony in between some of the songs, and I would share why I had written a particular song we were about to sing. I noticed tears trickling down his face. Then as songs were sung this soldier not only sat at attention in honor to His Savior but he saluted His Savior with out stretched arms of praise. He was not ashamed of His open praise and his wife and children honored him. It was such a humbling and beautiful sight to behold.
     God drew me to this family to show me that this Sunday Morning Soldier wasn't there to be seen or out of obligation. God showed me his heart. He was there because he loved and depended on God for everything in life. I saw this soldier’s heart that morning. He didn't care who was around him. He was there to worship the only one who protected him as a soldier. I will never forget the blessing he was to me that morning. I couldn't get him off my heart.
     After the service I went to the bus to change clothes and help prepare to move to the next service. While changing I was praying to meet this soldier and talk with him. I went to the front of the bus and someone knocked on the bus door. Yes!!! God heard and answered my prayer. There he stood at the door of the bus with a case of water for us. This Sunday morning soldier was still serving, but this time he was serving his fellow brethren in Christ rather than on the battlefield in a far away country. He shook my hand and introduced himself as Dallas Cleveland. He then apologized for being in uniform. He said that soldiers don't normally wear their attire in church because they don't want attention drawn to him or herself or the uniform. He went on to tell me he just didn't have time to change or he would have been late for the Sunday Morning service. I proceeded to tell him God used his uniform to minister to me during the service, and I was thankful he wore it. He served us with the same humility and honor as he would if he had been on a foreign field. I thanked him for the water, shook his hand again and thanked him for his service. Then God opened up a full conversation.
     He has been in the military for many years and has served in many wars and on foreign soil from Afghanistan to Iraq and the list of service went on and on. I asked him if I could pray with him and add him to my prayer list. He teared up again and said, "Ma’am, I would be honored to know you were praying for me." We hugged and parted ways.
     We were back at that church for 4 more services that week and he and his family were there every night and every service he sat at attention and saluted our Savior with upraised arms and tears rolling down his face. He would come to the altar with his wife each night just to pray, not for the soldiers on the battlefield but for the lost who had never received Christ as their Savior. His heart was to serve His Savior first. It was evident in both his walk and his talk. I will never forget the impact Dallas Cleveland had on me and I will never forget his love for Jesus that controlled him. I learned throughout that week that he wasn't just a Sunday Morning Soldier. I learned He was a 24/7 servant of God, family and country.
     I know that Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor those soldiers who have given their lives for God and country, for the freedom that we live in today. I am forever thankful for those who have sacrificed their lives. However, if Dallas leaves this earth because of his service for our freedom or for any other reason for that matter, I know without a doubt that I will see my friend in Heaven.
     May we always remember our Savior who gave His life that we could have life eternal, and may we always remember the soldiers who have given our lives that we could and can live in liberty and freedom in our country and on this earth. Most of all may we always remember to entertain angels unaware. We never know when God is going to send us an angel like Dallas Cleveland to remind us that God is to be served first and foremost.

I Just Love Jesus
Dr. Brenda J. Robinson
New Desire

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Reach the Unreached

3/29/2016

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Jessica Guinn

Luke 10:2, “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

On Good Friday, I read a simple little post by on Facebook from David Platt, the President of the International Mission Board and I have not been able to get away from it. It stated, “The pity of the cross is that 2.8 billion people still haven’t heard about it. God, help us to change this.”

2.8 billion. Billion. With a “B.”

In case you need to see that in actual digits, that’s 2,800,000,000 people.

That’s 2.8 billion mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. They could be your relatives, but based on the likelihood of our readers, many of them are probably not. However, that doesn’t make their lives – their eternities—any less valuable.

Since this has been stirring in my heart all weekend, I began to do a little research. The International Mission Board has an affiliate website called peoplegroups.org that details every people group in the world. A people group is a collective faction where people are ethnically similar (language, location, cultural tendencies, etc.). Unreached groups are those who are less than 2% evangelical. The unengaged are those who have no churches, no Gospel being spread, no leading or plan toward advancing Christianity.

Now think of the people that you believe fall into each one of those categories. Where did your mind take you? Sub-Saharan Africa? Southeast Asia? Those would be great guesses as a great majority of those areas of the world are unreached; however, for the purposes of this study I wanted to focus on the two countries that we as New Desire do the most mission work, Honduras and the United States.

We’ve had many people ask, “Why Honduras?” Honduras is a beautiful country in Central America, yet it is laden with drugs, violence, and poverty. In Honduras there are 14 people groups, 6 of which are unreached and 1 is unengaged. That’s half of the people groups in the country who are less than 2% evangelized. With a total population of 7,794,750, a whopping 106,300 are either unreached on unengaged equaling a total of 73.3%.

I realize for many of you, this still doesn’t hit home. If you have never been on the mission field it is hard to comprehend the vastness of the task we have been called to. What you might find even more staggering are the number of those in our very own homeland.

In the United States, there are 507 different people groups, 184 of those are unreached and 113 of those are unengaged. Let’s run a few numbers… The total number of people in those unreached and unengaged people groups is roughly 20,264,380. When divided by a population of 327,076,580, that means 16.1% of our nation, a Christian nation, has not been evangelized.

Here’s what was the most staggering to me. In my home state of Alabama, there is an unengaged people group. The Southeastern Guerrero Mixto people emigrated from Mexico with a population of 17,000 and many of them settled in Montgomery, Alabama. They are in the heart of the Bible belt, yet they haven’t been reached with the Gospel and as of yet, there is no plan in place to do so.

There are unreached groups in Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Florida and well, you get the picture.

We have just wrapped up our Easter celebrations, but we should be celebrating every day. He’s alive today, just like He was on Easter Sunday. It’s time we start doing what we were commanded to do. Matthew 28:7 says, “And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.”

How can you help? There are lots of ways. First of all, pray. I encourage you to visit the International Mission Board’s site for the unreached at www.peoplegroups.org and take a look at the overwhelming numbers they have comprised. There are prayer cards available that can remind you daily to pray for these groups and what to pray for. Next, I challenge you to go. Go quickly and tell, just as the Bible says in Matthew 28. If you are worried that you don’t know the right words to say or you don’t know enough Scriptures to tell someone how to be saved, remember that all you are held responsible for telling are the things that you have seen for yourself (Matthew 28:6). Tell your story. Finally, give. If you are physically unable to go yourself, you can always give so that someone else can carry the message for you. You’re never more like God than when you’re giving. You may never know this side of Heaven how your donation enabled the Gospel to be spread one soul at a time.

We have Good News to bring. He’s alive!

2.8 billion eternities are counting on you. Let’s reach the unreached!

2016. International Mission Board/ www.peoplegroups.org

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Making Jesus Famous

3/19/2016

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Jessica Guinn

Mark 1:28, “And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.”

While I was in college completing my degree in Business Marketing at Liberty University, my course of study included several classes on Advertising. We live in an ad-driven world. Companies pay millions of dollars each year as they vie for the biggest, brightest ads on every major television station, radio slot, social media outlet, newspaper column and billboard in town. Fork out the cash for a 30 second slot on the Super Bowl, and you’ve just earned yourself prime real estate.

Why do we spend so much on advertising? Because it makes people talk. By and large, the best form of advertising has always been and will always be word of mouth.

How does this relate to Scripture? I’m glad you asked! The Gospel of Mark is extremely fast paced. More than any other Gospel, Mark focuses on the ministry of Jesus in action. One instance right after another, Mark is recalling all of the miraculous works that Jesus performed following His baptism by John the Baptist.

Shortly thereafter, Jesus begins His ministry in Galilee and calls out four fishermen to forsake their nets and follow Him. As the five men arrive in Capernaum, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue where He is confronted by a man with an unclean spirit. Jesus, having all authority, casts out the spirit much to the astonishment of those around Him. (Just as an interesting side note—according to v. 24, the demonic spirit knew Jesus, called Him by name, and knew that He was the Holy One of God. Think about that)! The witnesses that day saw that even the unclean spirits recognized the authority of Jesus and obeyed him, or hearkened to His commands. What an amazing thing to behold!

So, those in attendance did what you and I and anyone else would have done. They went out and told everyone they knew of the wondrous work they saw Jesus perform.

Here’s my favorite part! Verse 28 says, “And immediately his fame spread abroad through all the region round about Galilee.” And there you have it—one of the first recorded cases of Word of Mouth Advertising.

Jesus performed many more miracles, several of which are listed in the book of Mark. One other in particular is found in Mark 1:40-45 where we read about Jesus cleansing a leper. In verse 45, it says that the leper went forth, “and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter…” To publish in the original Greek means to become a herald as a public crier, a preacher, to proclaim (especially divine truth).

How long has it been since you published the things that God has done for you? Have you blazed His name abroad, (started a fire), so that others could learn of His goodness and grace upon your life? Have you spread His fame by speaking His name throughout your home, community, and to those who will listen that might not know about our Lord?

You see, another thing I have learned about advertising is that if you love something, you can sell it. As Christians, we have the greatest product ever put on the market, because it has already been bought and paid for. All we have to do is be willing to spread the fame of Jesus to all of those who will hear!

I challenge you this week to seek out one friend that you can tell about Jesus and what He has done in your life. Next week another, and the next, another. One by one, day by day, let’s spread the fame of Jesus!

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Devotionals

Humility

Think On These Things

The Sunday Morning Soldier

Reach the Unreached

Making Jesus Famous

Devotionals

2015